The present invention relates generally to the cleaning and decontamination art. It finds particular application in the washing, sterilizing and disinfecting apparatus typically employed to clean, sterilize and disinfect laboratory glassware, such as volumetric flasks, beakers, test tubes, and the like, and will be described with particular reference thereto. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention may be applicable to a wide variety of apparatus used in sanitizing.
Flasks, beakers, test tubes and other glassware which are commonly used in laboratories are thoroughly cleaned after use in order to remove deposits which could contaminate materials subsequently contained in the glassware. Glassware is often cleaned manually with a brush. However, this manual procedure is generally undesirable because it requires considerable time and effort which could be spent on more productive tasks.
To minimize manual cleaning time, several laboratory glassware washing machines have been introduced. Known laboratory glassware washing machines operate analogous to household dishwashers wherein glassware is inverted and the mouth and neck are received by a spindle extending vertically from a rack. The rack is selectively moveable in and out of a washing chamber of the machine. Optionally, a second slidable rack is provided above the first rack for accommodating additional glassware. At least one spray arm is typically located beneath the rack which applies upwardly directed wash and rinse sprays for washing and rinsing the glassware. Heated air for drying the glassware is circulated within the washer chamber during the drying cycle.
Although this type of machine effectively cleans and dries a variety of different types of glassware articles, it has some drawbacks. Beakers, flasks, test tubes and other types of glassware come in many different sizes and shapes. For example, test tubes are generally smaller in width and height than beakers. In addition, graduated cylinders are manufactured having a wide range of heights and diameters. Flasks and beakers are typically enlarged at bottom portions and require more room when being washed. Known glassware washing machines are typically configured to accommodate only a limited range of sizes and configurations of beakers, flasks and test tubes.
As already noted, known glassware washing machines typically have racks which are slidable in and out of the washing chamber. Spindles extend vertically upward from the racks and receive the mouth and neck of the glassware. The height of the spindle directly relates to the height of the particular glassware to be washed. For example, a tall piece of glassware is typically received by a relatively tall spindle for adequate support during glassware washing operations. In contrast, a shorter piece of glassware is placed on a shorter spindle. Moreover, glassware with larger diameters, such as bulb shaped flasks, need additional spacing between adjacent spindles. Known glassware washing machines generally include a series of evenly spaced spindles having a uniform height. As such, these devices do not efficiently accommodate the needs of glassware articles having differing sizes and shapes.
To overcome the foregoing shortcomings, one known device is manufactured having a removable and replaceable rack system. Such a system allows an operator to choose from multiple complete racks each having spindles designed to receive a particular size of glassware. Therefore, the washer is adapted to sanitize multiple sizes of glassware. Although this device is capable of washing several sizes and shapes of glassware, it does so in separate washing cycles and therefore is not capable of washing differing articles at the same time. This has obvious efficiency problems due to the increased time which elapses during the several washing intervals.
In addition, washers of the foregoing nature are relatively large and constructed of heavy material. Because the racks are bulky and awkward, they are difficult to handle during changing periods and often require the work of at least two people. Additional workers add to the cost operation and slow the changeover process.
Additional problems are created when glassware washing machines are constructed with two or more levels of racks. If the height of a glassware article is greater than the spacing between the top and bottom rack or the spacing between the top rack and the top of the washing chamber, the washer will be unable to clean the article. The work may be done manually or the top rack can be removed to provide additional height for larger articles. However, removing the top rack cuts the capacity in half. When there are only one or a few tall articles, significant washing potential is lost. Such a device may again need additional workers to remove the heavy and awkward top shelf.
The present invention provides a new and improved construction which overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a decontamination unit comprises a washing chamber defined by a series of walls. A first shelf is mounted within the washing chamber. The first shelf has at least one washing section for receiving and supporting articles to be cleaned during operation of the decontamination unit. A second shelf is slidably mounted within the washing chamber vertically above the first shelf. The second shelf has at least two shelf sections that are operatively associated. At least one of the shelf sections is selectively detachable from the second shelf and removable from the washing chamber so that additional space may be provided for larger articles that need to be decontaminated.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a shelving assembly for a decontamination unit comprises a shelf having at least two shelf sections that are operatively associated. Each of the two shelf sections has a surface for carrying a set of articles to be cleaned. At least one of the shelf sections is detachable and removable from the shelf. A channel is operatively connected to each of the shelf sections for providing decontamination solutions to the articles to be cleaned. At least one support member is mounted to an outer edge of the shelf for allowing the shelving assembly to be slidably mounted within a decontamination device.
A first advantage of the present invention is that it provides greater flexibility and efficiency in decontaminating diverse sizes of glassware articles simultaneously.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the device can be changed over between different configurations quickly with minimal labor.
Still further advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.